


Of Violets and Vervain

by Selenite_Flowers



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Alan of Trebond’s Bad Parenting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi, Thom is a Gay Disaster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22828432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selenite_Flowers/pseuds/Selenite_Flowers
Summary: “Sit still Alanna, shoulders back Alanna.”Thom wants to be the greatest Sorcerer the world has ever seen, and his twin wants to be a knight. But their dreams are out of reach, Alanna as a girl isn’t allowed to be a knight, and Thom is forbidden from his passions to be a traditional man. The solution to their problem is easy. They need to switch places.Thom and Alanna of Trebond aren’t content to follow the status quo, they never have been. But keeping a lie isn’t as easy when you’re surrounded by people. Both have to endure bullying, discover self acceptance, and struggle to understand their magical Gifts.But who ever said chasing your dreams was easy?— Thom goes to the convent AU! Thom centric, as Alanna’s story remains largely unchanged(there will be Alanna chapters when changes occur) —— Credit to Spiralingintocontrol for Trading Places, the work that inspired this <3 —
Relationships: Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau & Thom of Trebond, Mild Roger of Conté/Thom of Trebond, Original Character(s)/Original Character(s), Thom of Trebond & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Of Violets and Vervain

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Trading Places](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17274572) by [spiralingintocontrol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralingintocontrol/pseuds/spiralingintocontrol). 



“I’m... not sure about this, Lana,” Thom said, his purple eyes doubtful. Their father had just sent them out of his office, he and his sister stood in the hall as she schemed.

“You trust me, don’t you?” Alanna replied, hints of desperation on her face.

“I do...” Thom’s voice was no more resolute as he looked at his sister, who was wearing a path in the stone floor of the cold castle hallway. Alanna spun, probably unaware of just how player-like the motion was, her long red hair whipping over her shoulder.

“Thom. You know I can’t do this. I know you can’t do this. You’d pitch yourself out of the palace windows before you became a knight, and I’d do the same in the convent.” Alanna grasped her twin. Their purple eyes meeting.

“I want to learn magic...” Thom agreed, slowly. Maybe Alanna’s idea wasn’t so far-fetched. “The girls do get taught basics... and there’s bound to be a library I can read more about magic in.”

“Then you can be Lady— I don’t know— Tamara, I’ll be Sir Alan. When we’re eighteen we can switch back and be Alanna and Thom. You’re due for a haircut anyway, and I can cut mine.” The girl nodded to his hair that almost brushed his shoulders.

“But we’ll be growing up soon. You’ll... with the chest— and me..” He turned red as he trailed off. “We’ll be caught for sure.”

“I have a plan for that,” Alanna said. “We can do it.”

“What about Maude and Coram? They can tell us apart and they’ll be travelling with us,” he argued, surely she’d have to consider them?

Alanna bit her thumb as she thought it over. “Coram doesn’t like magic. I’ll threaten to put a spell on him or something. Maude—” she paused, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. “Maude we can talk to.”

He chewed his lip considering the possibilities. He and Alanna were bound to be short, from one look at their father... and their mother had been legendarily tiny. So abnormal height probably wouldn’t be a problem for him, and people could always just assume ‘Alan’ to be a runt. The physical changes were bound to be noticeable, especially voice. But at least for a few years he would remain suitably androgynous. But... to be a sorcerer like he’d always dreamed.

Perhaps he ought to be thinking of benefit over risk. He could spend six years of his life advancing his talent being taught by those he wished to surpass, then two more at court, reading everything the palace library had to offer... even if he were to be Tamara whilst doing it. Then the rest of his life he could be Thom and study wherever he liked.

“You’re sure we could do it?” He asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Alanna looked grim as she told him “If you don’t lose your nerve.”

Thom could see it now. His name in the history books: _the Greatest Sorcerer to ever live._

_Oh, I won’t, Lana._

***

“Impossible,” Maude said, after listening to the twin’s plan. Surely someone had to notice what would be going on. “The gods made you what you are for a reason.”

Thom scowled at the healer, resigning himself to a fate of whacking at things and falling down but Alanna protested “Then that reason is so that I may be a female knight and Thom a sorcerer.”

Despite his best efforts Thom couldn’t help feeling a treacherous flame of hope burning brighter within him as Maude chewed at her lip and looked over the twins, considering.

“I will have to See in the fire,” she said at last. “Alanna, fetch me more wood. Thom, vervain.”

“But you’re not a Seer,” Thom began, his twin pausing with him, being one himself he knew the dangers that befell those who attempted to use Gifts the gods hadn’t given them. “How are you going to—”

“Never mind that,” the healer snapped, sweat running down her forehead. “Bring me wood and vervain.”

The twins hurried to do as Maude asked of them. Even her telling them what to fetch spoke to how well she knew them. Thom could tell flowers apart, what flowers aided which spells and Alanna would lift heavy things without complaint. He scurried over to her medicine cabinet to find the purple fabric bag that held the vervain. Thom remembered asking her where she afforded such expensive dyes and she had told him of the process in which she boiled flowers of all colours and extracted the colour that she washed the plain white cotton fabric with. It interested him for only a small amount of time before he realised how his hands would slowly turn the colour of the dyes. Best leave that work to peasants.

He watched as Maude took the pouch and tipped it into the fire, mouth moving frantically as she silently chanted spells and prayed. Thom could see the fear in her eyes, or rather... he could feel her fear once he looked into them, intuitively almost.

The fire’s colour changed to the blue green of her Gift. A jolt of pain raced up his arm and he yelped, Maude had stuck his hand in the fire, Alanna’s too. It was like the fire was burning all through his flesh as it pulled his magic into the licking burning flames. “Ow!” He whined squirming and biting his lip as part of the fire turned purple with his Gift. His eyes flicked to his silent sister. Lana was biting her bleeding lip in an attempt to stay quiet. _Show off_ , he thought as he writhed from the blistering pain from the tips of his wrist to his elbow.

_Why does she even need our power, she has her own_. He thought sullenly as he cried out again. _Maybe.. maybe she needs a Seer’s Gift for the spell to work, one like mine._ Whilst the magic would have fascinated him at any other time, he would prefer for the pain to stop. Both Lana and Maude were transfixed with the flames and when Thom looked he saw something too. A dark haired man with a grin of pure white, hand outstretched to him.

He was almost knocked off of his feet by the vision that hit him.

_Everything was white. Nothing but bright light filled his vision, if he were seeing it he might have gone blind. But his Sight was far stronger than that._

_And then, a man.. the same man from the fire. The most beautiful man that Thom had ever seen. His hair was a deep brown. His face perfectly sculpted, but still human. The man outstretched his hand and Thom realised that he had fallen to the ground and the man was helping him back up. Thom took his hand, the grip gentle but firm, his skirts swishing daintily around him._

_He could feel the glares of people in the extravagant room slowly shifting from the brightness to watercolour details. Not glares exactly, but the anger and jealousy practically radiating off of them._

_The handsome man fit Thom into his arms expertly, his hand sliding perfectly into the small of Thom’s back. He could feel his body heat, both of their heartbeats. But he could not sense what the man was feeling and he didn’t know why that was strange._

Thom gasped, awake from his vision. His hand no longer hurt, Maude had dropped both his and Alanna’s. She stepped back and said “I have seen what I need to. I’ll help you.”

Thom was rubbing his wrist, checking for marks to show his hand had been in flames for... minutes? How long had it been before he had his vision, how long had he been having it?

“Did you see the city?” Alanna asked hesitantly. Thom stared, surely she couldn’t have seen anything, she hadn’t cast the spell! The rules of magic were very clear on that. Alanna looked skittish as she saw her twin and the healer looking at her in disbelief. Thom decided to take the pressure off of her, he was _such_ a good brother.

“Or the man?” Thom asked. “Did you see him?”

Maude looked at the twins, wide eyed. “I may have pulled from your Seeing Gift, Thom.. perhaps that has to do with you two Seeing in my fire.”

Lana looked like a spooked horse, Thom walked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and surprising even himself when she didn’t jerk away. She really was terrified of her own abilities. “Thanks, Maude,” he said finally, because Alanna was too shaken to say it for him.

“I’ll go along with your plain,” Maude said, looking amused. “If you answer one question for me.”

“What question?” Thom squinted at her, suspicious.

“Why not pretend to be each other? You could use the letters your father gave you and a lot less trouble would come of it.”

“We’ll be using the names for eight years. Best to avoid confusion by choosing names similar to our current ones.” Alanna finally spoke up, her pushing Thom’s hand away was all the confirmation he needed that she was relieved to be talking about something other than magic.

“So young Lord Alan and Lady....?” Maude trailed off, looking at Thom for his new name. “Thomasina? Theodosia?”

Thom shuddered at the names. “Who would curse their daughter with a name like _Thomasina_.. yeugh. I think I’ll go with... Tamara.” He sent a small smile to his sister who sent it right back.

Maude nodded. “Lady Tamara it is.”

***

“Father, I simply can’t go to the convent—”

“That is enough, Alanna.” Thom heard his father’s voice through the wooden door, angry and warning.

“Without a Ladies’ Maid,” Alanna finished.

Thom could hear nothing but silence for a few moments as he listened at the door.

Lord Alan surely had to have looked up from his scrolls at that. His mule-stubborn daughter was finally relenting, on the condition that she have a maid.

“Father, all the other girls will have them and if I am to be as dutiful to you as may be then I should have someone to tutor me once classes have finished for the day. If Thom is to have Coram, might I have the same courtesy?”

Thom fought back a snigger. The flowery language didn’t suit Alanna, but it might mean their father would listen to her.

“Is that all?” Thom felt a grin rising. Wonderful! The plan was falling perfectly into place.

“Yes, father. Please?” Lana’s voice was wheedling.

“I’ll hire one right away for you. Expect her by tomorrow morning. Tell your brother that the two of you have tomorrow to pack your things and overmorrow you will embark.”

Thom was triumphant. What an eventful day.

***

Eloise was dumbfounded as she was lead into the stone castle. She knew she was staring like a bumpkin but that didn’t stop her from staring. She’d seen the castle before of course, she grew up in Trebond land! But she never thought she’d be close enough to see the dips in the stone bricks. She’d been hired as the young Lady’s maid. Alanna was her name, Eloise believed.

The girl gathered up her skirts, adjusted her grip on her bag and pulled a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. She set her jaw stubbornly and followed the steward escorting her up the stairs of the stronghold.

“Seeing as you’ll be departing for the convent with the young Lady tomorrow, you won’t need to know your way around, lucky you,” he told her pompously, irking Eloise to no end, though what he’d said was innocuous enough. “You are to assist her in the packing of bags, then you will away with the village hedgewitch and her ladyship. You are to tutor her in the feminine arts and act as a chaperone, an advisor; and assist her with dressing, washing, and many other things. Not including the cultivation of her magical Gift, Lord Alan was very specific about that.”

It took all of Eloise’s considerable restraint to not slap her slippers harder against the stone steps in irritation. She bit down on her tongue to keep from telling him she was entirely aware of how to do her job. All she said was “Yes, sir.”

At any rate they had reached the stairwell landing at which they were supposed to stop and travel down to find the rooms of the infamous twins. The stone hall echoed her gown’s gentle swoosh, the pat, pat, pat of her feet on the stone. It all felt so surreal and Eloise was sure she was utterly out of her depth. She was glad, though, that she would only be staying in the Trebond Castle for the night, sure it was a labyrinth waiting for her to lose her Noble mistress.

“That’s Lady Alanna’s room,” the steward said, pointing to the door on the left. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Once she could no longer hear his footsteps she let go of her skirts and hesitantly knocked on the door.

She could hear something faint through the door, someone said something and then came a slightly strained “Who is it?”

“Your new maid, my lady. May I come in?” Eloise called, deliberately enunciating clearly as she had been taught.

More mumbling and then, “You may.”

When Eloise pushed open the heavy oak door, she didn’t know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t her mistress tangled in a red dress. Her corset was backwards, tied into all sorts of knots, including one in her shoulder length red hair that had been tangled by curlers. Her petticoat and skirt were in disarray and Eloise was willing to bet that the only piece of clothing she had put on correctly was a shift. What must have been the girl’s brother was attempting to help her out of the situation.

The room was simple, a bed with furs, a desk, a bookshelf, fireplace crackling away and windows small enough that no bandit could make their way through if they were to attack the castle.

Eloise sighed, shutting the door and setting down her bags. She set her jaw and rushed forward. “Master Thom?” She addressed the boy in the rough spun tunic with his hair cut to his ears. The boy seemed to be repressing a grin as he nodded. She continued “Your assistance is no longer needed, thank you.”

He accepted the dismissal and shot his sister a grin before leaving the room.

“I’m Eloise, my lady,” she began as she untied the knotted string stuck in her hair.

“Alanna,” the younger girl replied after a short hesitation.

Eloise then removed the curlers, gently telling her “You put curlers in at night, perhaps when we reach the convent I could curl your hair for you.” She didn’t get a reply from the girl so Eloise continued to chat as she untied the monstrous knots done in the corset’s laces. “The laces go at the back, otherwise the pressure on the lungs will make it very hard to breathe.”

“I thought women’s clothes just... did that,” she offered.

Eloise laughed and said conspiratorially. “Some do. But we wouldn’t want you fainting on _these_ floors, now, would we?”

“I’d crack my skull open,” Alanna remarked.

“Lady Alanna, dear,” Eloise began, finally finishing undoing the corset, “I would think of doing away with your red and orange dresses.”

“Why?” She asked.

“It washes your complexion out and clashes with your red hair.” Eloise started working on Alanna’s petticoat and skirt. How she’d managed to dishevel them this much Eloise had no idea. “Cooler tones will contrast and bring out the red. Blues certainly, perhaps something to bring out your eyes.” She glanced up and paused, certain she had gone bug-eyed at the girl’s eyes, which stared back down. “....Purple.”

Alanna quirked a brow. “Astute of you to notice,” she said dryly.

Eloise’s hand itched to make the sign-against-evil but she knew it would be rude so she just kept undoing Alanna’s mess of clothing.

“Here, Lady Alanna. We’ll get rid of all this down to your shift,”She motioned to the dress. “And put you in something blue, your hair can be left as is, but we’ll have to braid it back on the road. Then we can pack your things for the convent and we’ll leave every awful red thing you own out.”

***

Eloise had no idea that she was in fact talking to the boy who she would be addressing as Lady Tamara for the next eight years. No idea at all. She didn’t even see the smirk rise on his face.


End file.
